Adjustable ground setter



April 5, 1932.

H. C. CATTELI.

ADJUSTABLE GROUND SETTER Fiied March 5, 1928 j INVENTOR.

1Z0/waff 6'. (d/e/I BY fmw A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES HERMAN C. CATTELL, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO .ADJUSTABLE GROUND SETTER Application filed March 5,

My invention relates to an improvement in a device known as an adjustable ground setter.

ln the construction of buildings, it is neces 5. sary to attach narrow wooden strips, known as grounds, temporarily to the studding in order to determine the exact thickness allowed for the plastering. These grounds must be parallel to each other and perfectly plumb, and set so that their outside edges will represent the width of the jamb. The purpose of my invention is to provide an adj ustable compound clamp to hold the straight edges or plumb rules in parallel or other position while a ground, corner bead, or strip of any lrind is being fastened to a wall for the purpose of giving a true plaster line.

My device is practically adapted for setting such ground strips to door frames so that the strips will be held in a true vertical position, and also so that the plumb rules will be readily removable after the ground is taclred in proper position.

Further objects and structural features of my invention will appear in the following description and as shown on the accompanying drawings.

.ln the said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showing the usual studding and showing plumb rules held in position by my device.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line -A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical view of section taken on line B-B.

In the construction of buildings, partitions are usually made of studdings such as 4 to which lath strips 5 and 6 are attached. Before the plaster coats, represented by 7 and S, are applied, it is necessary to attach ground strips 9 and 10 to the studding temporarily in order to form the limits of the plaster coat and determine its thickness. These ground strips are secured to the studding by nails 11 and 12, and must be put on vertically. These ground strips are located by means of vertical straight edges 13 and 14. This is a very diflicult o eration for one man to handle as these plum rules must be 5 held to their exact position during the time 1928. Serial N0. 259,334.

the grounds are applied as the outer edge of the grounds must be held absolutely in line irrespective of the line of the studding.

My device consists of two adjustable clamp frames 15 and 16, one preferably located near 55 the top, and one preferably near the floor. Each of these frames consists of two parts 17 and 18, Which are adjustably connected and held with respect to each other by clamps 19 and 20 which encircle the clamp and by means so of adjustable screws 21 and 22 hold the two portions of the clamp securely together in the proper relative position. Eachpart of the clamp is provided with an adjustable locking screw 23 which may consist of a screw 65 threaded into a portion of the clamp frame and provided at its outer end with a disc face E24- which clamps against the vertical plumb rule, holding it tightly against the face 25 of the clamp frame. The portion 18 of the InjV clamp frame is provided with an adjustable bar 26 which may be of: tubular form, provided on its inner end with threaded plate 27. This threaded plate is adapted to engage screw threads of adjusting screw 28, which is also provided with threads of the opposite hand engaging' threaded portion of clamping frame 29. This clamping screw 28' is actuated by a hand lever 30 and it will be seen that when hand lever 30 is operated the contact 80".- bar 26 will be given a movement equal to the sum of the distances that screw 28 travels in the lock plates 27 and 29.

On the other portion of the clamping frame, designated 17, I provide a. springg5 actuated contact bar 31, which is forced outwardly from the circular portion of frame 17 at 32 by means of compression spring 33. This spring is held in place by plate 34 and screw 85. The construction of clamp 16 is 90'73` similar in other respects to the clamp 15 which I have just described.

The method for operating my device is for the carpenter to first measure the distance between plumb rules 13 and 14 so that the 95/V`V` space betweenthem will be the correct width over the proposed plaster line, then to clamp the plumb rules securely in this position by the use of two or more clamps. The plumb rules are then applied to the door jamb or 109"` other part of the building being constructed, and by using the hand screw 30 the contact plates are clamped to the lath which are secured to the studding and then the two plumbs 13 and 14 are centered on the jamb so that the thickness of plaster coats 7 and 8 will be as nearly uniform as possible. The spring device on part 17 of the clamp will allow a very accurate adjusting of the two plumb rules. After the plumb rules are in place the grounds 9 and 10 are located so that their outer edges will abut against the plumb rules, and when in this position they are tacked into place by means of nails 11 and 12. It will thus b e seen that the plumb rules and by means of these the two ground Setters can be set absolutely vertical and in the proper relation with the partition so that when the v'rounds 9 and 10 are temporarily put in place they will represent the exact width of the jamb and form a guide on which the plasterer can work in determining the thickness of the plaster coat on either side of the jamb.

Having thus described my invention7 what I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is t 1. An adjustable ground setter, comprising plumb-rules adapted to bear against grounds, the grounds having surfaces adapted to be in a plane with each other and to bear against the surface of a studding, clamps adapted to hold the plumb-rules in fixed parallel relation to each other and means carried by the clamps for moving the plumbrules and clamps laterally with respect to the studding while the plumb-rules are rigidly held in parallel relation to each other by the clamps.

v2. An adjustable ground setter, comprising plumb-rules adapted to bear against grounds, the grounds having surfaces adapted to be in a plane with each other and to bear against the surface of a studding, clamps adapted to hold the plumb-rules in fixed parallel relation to each other and hand operated adjusting'screws carried by the clamps for moving the plumb-rules and clamps laterally with respect to the studding while the plumb-rules are rigidly held in parallel relation to each other by the clamps. Y

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

VI-IEI-lMIiAiN C. CATTELL. 

